DISCARDED needles were found by a concerned parent in the town centre yesterday afternoon.

Alistair Flockhart took his children for a stroll by the sports field near the County Ground when he saw discarded needles and other drug-related waste which had been left in the grass and mud.

He told one Swindon community facebook group that his two-year-old almost fell on one of the needles and warned others to be careful when walking around town.

After trying and failing to report the problem via Swindon Borough Council's online form, he gave them a ring to notify them of the danger.

The council aim to remove hypodermic needles within four hours of them being reported.

In an update to the facebook group, Mr Flockhart praised the council for collecting the needles within an hour of his call.